Dark Souls, unofficial sequel to PlayStation 3 word-of-mouth hit Demon's Souls, has been confirmed as a 2011 release for Japan, North America and European regions, and not only on PS3 but also Xbox 360.

Its predecessor went against the grain of popular game design: it was an incredibly tense game in which the smallest of mistakes was met with punishment of an unexpected and unrelenting severity.

Medieval warriors stalked through gloomy castles, beaten back by monstrous foes, and were subjected to invasions from other players bent on brutal assassination.

One might expect that the modern gamer would shy away from a challenge weighted so strongly against them, a learning curve so resolutely steep.

In fact, Demon's Souls was almost immediately accepted as an essential title by critics and consumers. Players were importing the Japanese game in such quantities that localized versions for both North American and European regions were arranged.

Dark Souls, then, promises more of the same: luscious detail, overwhelming dread, and ruthless beasts return, but this time to a world more colorfully rendered than the murk of Demon's Souls, more expansive.